


Running To The Edge Of The World

by cweepa



Category: X-Men: First Class (2011) - Fandom
Genre: Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Ignores DOFP, M/M, One Shot, post xmfc, then hurt again
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-20
Updated: 2014-09-20
Packaged: 2018-02-18 02:02:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,499
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2331134
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cweepa/pseuds/cweepa
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Erik tells himself that he wouldn't crumble at the sight of Charles.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Running To The Edge Of The World

**Author's Note:**

> Many thanks to my lovely beta and twin, do check her out at onemcfassypls.tumblr.com. Title taken from Running To The Edge of the World by Marilyn Manson. It's a fantastic song. 
> 
> I don't own any of the characters, and maybe that's a good thing...

_Running To The Edge Of The World_

 

 

Erik tells himself that he wouldn't crumble at the sight of Charles.

  
  
It's been a good few years since the incident, that day where he had left Charles on the beach. 3 years since he had last seen his friend's betrayed, disappointed eyes. 3 years since he had walked away.

  
  
What Erik didn't tell Charles, though, was that he was too scared. Scared of rejection, the fear of being feared. He remembered seeing the horror flash through the eyes of his ex-teammates. It had been painful, yes, but it was almost unbearable when he realised how frightened Charles was. The sheer anguish and agony that his expression had held.

 

Charles didn't even need to open his mouth- his face said it all. And Erik would much rather Charles hate him openly than fear him silently.

 

Mystique had told him a few days prior that Charles is coming to visit. That's what she calls him, now. Charles. Not 'my brother'. Just 'Charles'. And sometimes 'Prof'. It unnerves Erik--she is his last link to him, and he doesn't want it to falter. "While he's here, why not spend some time together? It's about time the both of you got over this petty fight," she had suggested. "How hard can it be?" _She just didn't understand, did she_? Erik had glared at her and walked off. It wasn't a petty argument, no, Erik thought. It was a _mistake_ , one of the _biggest mistakes_ that he had _ever made_ in his life, and he still hasn't forgiven himself for it.

 

He agrees to see Charles, though, and tells himself that it's only to say hi and how are you doing and nasty weather we're having, isn't it,  and then promptly disappearing into his rooms and remaining there until Charles leaves. When he finally sets his eyes on Charles, however, after all this time, the resolve that he has been building up for so long crumbles. All his best laid plans, his conversation topics, they all rushed out of his mind and left a huge empty space.

 

A space which Charles filled up.   


  
Charles is standing, tall (well, as tall as he could get) and steady, those beautiful, crystalline blue eyes bearing holes into his skull. Erik takes a step forward, and Charles doesn't flinch. He immediately regrets wearing the helmet--he can't hear Charles in his head, or even sense his presence. Something's wrong, he thinks. Something's terribly wrong. But Charles, _oh Charles,_ he looks healthy, beautiful, strong, but above all, _he wasn't paralysed._

__  
  
"To walk again comes at a price." Charles says, as though he had somehow managed to read Erik's mind.

  
  
"Your powers," Erik says, realisation dawning on him like a bucket of iced water. "I'm sorry." And _he is_ , he is sorry,  in fact, he means so much more than he says, wants to show Charles how sorry he is, to get on his knees and beg for forgiveness until his old friend forgives him, until he could finally feel the press of Charles' lips against his own. Until he could finally feel whole again, dignity be damned.

  
  
"I know." Charles replies coldly. "I'm not."

  
  
"For?" Erik is confused.

  
  
"For allowing myself to forget about you. For letting myself hate you. It was the best damn decision that I have ever made."  
  
And Erik feels his heart shatter.

  
  
"I..I haven't forgotten," he whispers hoarsely.  


  
Charles smiles. It's a cold, menacing grin that doesn't fit his innocent face. It's the smile of a man who has been beaten down one too many times, who has been on the receiving end of life's cruel blade.

"Oh, Erik. And here I thought I was the sentimental one."

 

It's like shards of ice ripping through his heart, the very same heart that Charles helped to build. Charles was freezing those emotional barriers that Erik was so proud of.

"We both are," Erik says, attempting to inject some semblance of confidence into his voice. "You haven't forgotten. The Charles I know would never forget."

Something flashes in Charles's eyes.

 

"Well then, I'm not the Charles you knew, am I?"

"You keep telling yourself that." Erik says, hating the way his voice wavered in uncertainty.

"I don't need to. I know well enough."

Of course, Charles's voice is cool and steady, never faltering, never breaking. Charles was, and still is, the only one who could break him down like this.

 

"No, no...you don't," Erik says lamely. He flushes as Charles raises an eyebrow, and despite the very obvious height advantage that he holds over Charles, he somehow feels looked down upon.

  
  
"You are pathetic."  Charles spits. "Did you really think there could still be hope of salvaging the tattered remains of what you call a friendship? Did you really?"  
  
Erik has no words for this. "I'm sorry. I..I have no way of proving this. I made a mistake, a huge mistake, but hear me out, I can explain-"

 

"Enough!"

 

Charles strides forwards and grabs Erik by the clasp of his cloak."I didn't come here to hear your sad pleas, or your excuses. You took my sister, Charles. You left me to die on that beach. I'm lucky to even be walking! And, you know what? Above it all, you-"

 

"Charles, please-"

 

"-abandoned me!. You abandoned me when I needed you most. Now, do you really have grounds to argue with me on this?"

 

Erik takes a deep breath and tries to calm himself down _. Don't show any weakness, don't show any weakness-_

"I was afraid."

Charles stiffens, and for a split second, Erik thinks that he has finally managed to get through to his old friend. But then, he lifts his head and looks Erik in the eye, looks at him with an expression full of hatred and betrayal.

 

"And what makes you think I wasn't?"

 

Erik feels his chest seize up. Charles wasn't supposed to be like this. This was Charles, yes, but it wasn't his Charles, his Charles was always kind, always patient. He was always willing to hear someone out, most of all Erik . This Charles was cold, bitter and cruel, and suddenly, Erik realised with horror, that it was _all his fault._

 

Erik yanks off the helmet in frustration, and tosses it onto the ground. It makes a loud clanging noise. "I...I made a mistake, a huge one. But, god help me Charles, I..you..I love you... I'm so sorry," He is horrified to hear his voice crack, and for the first time in years, he cries.

  
  
Tears spill over his eyes, and he collapses onto the ground at Charles' feet.

The room trembles slightly as he is overcome with anguish. He has not lost control of his powers in ages--another first.

And third time's the charm--for the first time since the Cuba incident, Charles feels his heart soften. 

 

And that's when Erik senses it.  
  
A smooth, warm presence in his head. The same one that had soothed him one too many times, that had brought him back to sanity when he needed it.

 

"I didn't really lose them. I was lying," Charles whispers, eyes glistening.

"Go on, then." Erik grabs Charles' hands and pushes them against his forehead. "Go into my head. I don't care what you see, just know that I am sincere in saying I am sorry, and I..I want, no, _need,_ you back."

  
Charles is silent for a second.  
  
"No."  
  
Erik lets out a pained wail, a cry not similar to that of a mother screaming in anguish over a lost son. "Why?" he whispers. "Why won't you let me show you how much you mean to me?"  
  
Should any of the Brotherhood walk in, he would lose all respect he had in them. To see the great Magneto, reduced to a wreck at the feet of his enemy.  
  
Erik can't bring himself to care.

  
"It's really affecting you, isn't it?" Charles says softly, and Erik nods through his tears. "I'm sorry," Charles whispers, and bends down to kiss Erik gently on the lips. Erik pulls away slightly.  "Don't," he begs. "It's unbearable, Charles, please, I won't be able to bear it if you leave-"  
  
Charles shushes him and presses his lips to Erik's cold ones again. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, Charles. God, please, I love..I love you, don't leave me, I'm so sorry-" Erik whispers between kisses, and Charles rests his head gently on Erik's chest. It has been so long since he has felt Erik in his head. It is almost like coming home.

 

Contentment. _Fear_.

Relief. _Weakness._

Guilt. _Love_.

 

"I forgive you," he whispers, and presses two fingers to Erik's temple.

  
  
A few hours later, Erik is woken up by Mystique.

  
  
"Did Charles leave?" She asks, peering curiously at him.   
  
"Charles? Charles who?"

  
  
Charles, Erik thinks. He feels as though he should know who that is.   
  
But then again, he had always been terrible with names.

 

 


End file.
